Moving Vans

A moving van permit reserves space at a specific time and location to park a vehicle while moving materials in and out of a building. City staff will post signs at the requested location. Moving van permits can only be posted in front of your residence and cannot be posted in spaces reserved for persons with disabilities, across driveways, within ten feet of a fire hydrants, or locations posted no parking or no stopping. Permits cannot be issued on private ways or on blocks with no parking on either side.

How to Apply

Permit applications must be submitted and paid for at least 7 calendar days (one week) before the installation date. For example, an application for a Tuesday permit must be submitted and paid for by 11:59 pm on the previous Tuesday. This requirement allows time to approve the application and post signs 48 hours in advance so that people can move vehicles parked at permitted locations. To apply, please click on the link at the bottom of this page for the online application form or come to our office.

When applying online, after clicking the submit permit application button, you should be prompted to pay for your permit. If you do not see the payment screen or you cannot complete your payment, please call our office at 617-349-4721. Your application will not be processed by our staff until payment is received.

Once our staff approve your permit, we will send you a copy of your approved permit via email as a PDF attachment. In some instances emails will end up in spam or junk folders. Please check all email folders for your permit. If you do not receive this email by noon on the next business day after you have applied and paid for your permit, please contact our office to make sure that we have received your permit application and that your payment is complete. Thank you.

Fees

Permit fees are per vehicle, per day, available in 20ft increments:

20ft or 40ft - $40.00

60ft - $60.00

80ft - $80.00

100ft - $100.00

120ft - $120.00

Meter Fee (if applicable) $10.00/day/meter

Moving van permits are effective 8AM to 4PM on the date requested. Vans may be kept on the street overnight if the space is reserved for two consecutive days.

Other Information

If a vehicle is parked in the space posted for your move, please contact the Cambridge Police Department by following the instructions on your permit

You must make provisions for pedestrian safety and/or emergency vehicles when necessary.

If the no parking signs we have posted are torn down, please call us at (617) 349-4721 right away.

All moving vehicles must use a rear ramp. Ramping from the truck cannot block the sidewalk. Please plan for sufficient ramp space when requesting your permit.

Permits cannot be modified after signs have been posted unless due to extreme weather conditions. If you need to request a posting modification after signs are posted, the City cannot provide a refund and you must reapply and pay for a new permit.

Tractor Trailers/Semi Trucks are restricted on some roads in Cambridge and surrounding areas. If you are using these vehicles please contact us at (617) 349-4721 to find out if your move should be broken down into smaller moving vans.

The City does not allow trailers of any size to be un-attached from a vehicle and left on public property. Trailers left un-attached are subject to towing at the owners expense.

If you are leaving your moving van in a parking space overnight you must abide by the following City Ordinance. "Loading, unloading, opening, closing or other handling of boxes, crates, containers, building materials, garbage cans, or similar objects between the hours of nine p.m. and seven a.m. the following day on weekdays, or between the hours of nine p.m. and nine a.m. the following day when the following day is a Saturday, Sunday or holiday in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of fifty feet from the lot line of the lot on which such activity is located, or to be plainly audible within a noise sensitive zone” is prohibited.

The City of Cambridge retains the right to revoke or deny street occupancy permits at any time for reasons including, but not limited to the following: non-compliance of any state law, City Ordinance, failure to comply with the above guidelines or failure to make payments.

All City permits are subject to review and can be revoked at any time per order of the Traffic, Parking & Transportation Director.